Chrono Cross  The Five Relics
by Vinsontran23
Summary: Kid has always been a notorious thief, and also short tempered.  The Astral Amulet is no longer in her possession, and she wants it back.
1. Break In

Chrono Cross

_The Five Relics_

Chapter 1 – Break-in

Kid felt the treasure in her hands already. She enjoyed the adrenaline pumping through her body. The alarm has yet to go off and the guards on duty have yet to catch her. Her presence was like a cat treading on the ledges of rooftops.

Kid walked down the hallway. Constant images of lanterns and doors flashed through her mind. The sound of her footsteps echoed throughout the hallway. Each door and lantern identical to the last, the route seemed to last forever. After what seemed to be forever, Kid reached the end of the hallway. There awaited a staircase in front of her, and on the sides of it stood two golden snake sculptures facing each other. On top of the lintel was a plague. In bright golden letters the words stood out on the plague. _Treasure Room._

Kid grinned, a sense of accomplishment relaxed her.

"Time to finally get back what they took from me."

Making sure not to fall for any traps, Kid rummaged through her small belt pouch and found a can of her special chemicals. She sprayed the concoction into the air, mist spewed and drifted in all directions. Horizontal lasers ran in between the snake statues. On the ceiling was an array of intersecting lasers coming from all directions. Kid expected this type of cunning layouts. The bottom was too thin to slide under and scaling the ceiling would expose her to the switches on top. However, there was an area where the lasers did not cover. The gap between the ceiling and the statues was long enough for her to slip through. However, the statues were about seven feet tall and the ceiling only stood about ten, making it impossible to jump through. Behind her, she could hear very faint footsteps.

Kid took a deep breath. She pulled out a set of miniature mirrors, about the size of a credit card, and placed them on the bottom row of lasers. It gave her about half a foot to crawl through if she was to go under. The young lady placed another mirror on top. The sound of the footsteps came closer. The gap now measured about three quarters of a foot. Satisfied, Kid got down on her stomach and started to crawl through. Knowing her head got through, she quickly got her body through and got up. Swiftly she retrieved her mirrors and leaned against the wall, hoping the wall would provide enough camouflage for her. A guard came by and knocked on a door. "It's your shift!" Sounds of grumbling came from inside the room. "Hurry up!" The guard turned around and started surveying the halls. He glanced over at the statues for a moment. After a few seconds, he turned his head in the other direction. "This has got to be the most boring job ever." A smile came across Kid's face.

"Whatever you say."

Kid slowly headed up the fleet of stairs. Only after a minute, she reached the top of the stairway. She glimpsed into the room as she was walking up the stairs. Many items were displayed on small pillars. Light came only from the two moons shining in the dark sky through the glass ceiling. Cautiously, she walked around avoiding any lasers which she knew about from previous break-ins. A sparkle on the side of her eye caught her attention. The thief walked up to the pedestal housing a purple patch with star formations on front. _The Astral Pouch._

"There you are darling. Hold on, you'll be back in my hands in just a second."

Kid used the last of her bottle to check for any hidden lasers. There was none at all. _Huh?_ She knew this was too easy, there must have been a catch. Using her knives, she carved a hole through the glass protecting the amulet just big enough to slide her hand through. Slowly, her hand went in and grabbed the trinket. She reeled her hand back out, but as soon as she did, Kid realized she has set off a trap by removing the object from the stand. The small platform that it stood on rose slightly and stopped.

The alarm went off.

Kid's attention shot to the door as metal bars slammed to the ground, locking her in. On the other side of the room, a hidden door opened up and guards charged at her. Kid reacted and threw a smoke bomb on the ground, filling the room with smoke. Hastily she shoved aside the footmen and ran into the room which they came from. She entered the main hall, clenching the pouch in her hand. A large chandelier hung from the ceiling.

"There's the intruder! Get her!"

Guards at her left ran toward her. Kid took off to her right. From the main hall, there was the entrance vestibule. The blueprints the thief made described guard rooms in the halls connecting to the main hall which she just left. The entrance is the best place for her to exit.

The main hall was on the 2nd story. It was above the entrance vestibule and was connected by a fleet of stairs. The stairs was wide enough so if two guards came up the stairs, she'd be trapped. Hastily, Kid sprinted down the stairs. She had to hurry before the guards came. As the entrance approached, sounds of commands scattered through the air.

"The intruder's coming! Get into position! Lock the doors!"

Kid entered the foyer to find a row of guards barricading the front door. Without stopping, she continued to sprint at the infantry. Each guard pulled out their spear and pointed it at the intruder. Suddenly, Kid flew through the air. She landed on one of the soldier's shoulders and flung herself at the window. A large shatter filled the air as Kid crashed through the stained glass and rolled on the grass outside. Sounds of sirens and shouts filled the air. In a second, she was already up on her feet and running. Kid chuckled as she looked at the prize in her hand.

"Let's get out of here."


	2. Shadow Forest

Chrono Cross

_The Five Relics_

Chapter 2 – Shadow Forest

With a full moon hovering in the starry sky, Kid made her way through the forest. The path was quite linear. On her left were a variety of trees. On her right was a flowing stream. The night sky lit up the nocturnal night. Nothing could be heard except for the cycle of her steps.

A deadening roar of a creature filled the air. Birds rapidly fluttered away behind her. Kid turned her head to listen for what might be a cause. At the end of earshot, stomping, slowly coming closer. She didn't want to know anymore. Kid quickened her pace to a jog.

Kid followed the stream downriver. When she reached a bend in the river, something caught her attention. There were two guards alert and vigilant. At this time, the footsteps behind her became apparent and filled the air. Kid dove into the bushes and recovered. Pulling away some leaves, she saw dragoon riders running past. Dragoons, the size of a horse, were the armies mounted animals. The riders on top of them wore more pads and armor to protect them from attacks.

They pulled the leashes wrapped around the dragoons' neck. Each gave a wail and stopped. One rider with exceptional armor got off his dragoon. His armor shimmered and his helmet was lined with spikes. The two guards saluted.

"Has there been any sight of anyone coming through here?"

"No Sir!"

"Stay alert. Block the roads and alert the outposts. Master Viper wants the intruder caught."

"Yes Sir!"

The commander got back on his dragoon and tugged the reins. The commander's dragoon let out a loud wail and the group of riders began to head back. Slowly, their footsteps became dimmer until they were gone. One of the guards let out a sigh of relief.

"Wow. I can't believe it. Another thief got into the mansion. Sounds like Commander Zurich isn't going to let them get away with it."

The other one nodded. One patrol fled to tend to his duties while the other stood watch. Kid pondered.

"Another thief? Someone else was here before me? Wait, now is not the time for me to ponder, I better hurry and get out."

Kid closed her eyes and started to extract the magic inside her. Her right hand glowed with a green aura. She aimed her hand toward the soldier.

"Bushbasher!"

Thorns coiled out of the ground and wrapped around the unsuspecting guard, leaving only his head exposed to open air.

"What the!?"

The guard struggled, attempting to free himself, but to no avail. Kid came out of hiding and ran up to him. She pulled out her dagger and held it up to the guard's neck.

"If you value your life, you'll tell me all I want to know."

The soldier frantically panicked.

"Wait, wait, wait, don't kill me! I'll tell you whatever you want!"

A grin came across Kid's face. This was going to be easier than she thought. She gently pushed the blade against his neck. She spoke slowly.

"Tell me, what is this I hear about another thief?"

"Someone…came in and…stole another artifact. I'm…not sure what it was…It was very valuable because the general got really mad."

Kid slightly nudged the knife against his neck.

"Is that all?"

"Yes, I don't know anything other than that."

Kid bit her tongue. _Nothing._

"Alright than."

Kid pulled the knife away from his neck and used her magic once more. This time, her hand gleamed with a yellow vibration.

"Uplife!"

A rather large rock flew at the soldier, promptly knocking him out. The vines withdrew, and the body fell flat on the ground with a _thwump_. Kid dragged the body into the bushes.

"Sleep tight."

Kid ventured further into the forest. The faint sound of roaring waves ramming into the cliff filled the calm, tranquil air. Something hit against Kid's foot, and she tripped. Kid placed her hands on the ground and pushed herself into the air. A net trap was already activated, the corners of the net tightening and trapping as much as it could. It was empty. Kid stared at the trap which she nearly fell for.

"Traps? These guys are pulling out everything they have."

In the distance, small flames wandered through the air. Kid crotched down on her knees and closely studied the lights. Each flame slowly drifted away, levitating up and down like spirits.

"Will-o-wisps?"

Kid came closer to the spectral lights. The grass squished under each step. Suddenly, a part of the ground started to crack. The ground beneath her began to corrode. It crumbled and Kid started to lose her balance.

Kid reached out with her arms and gripped the edge of the ground. Clumps of dirt tumbled down into the pitch-black hole. Kid slowly got back up. She lied down on the grass. She was tired. She has been running for about two hours and she has done so much with her body.

The flames have disappeared, and now Kid lost her sense of direction. The sun would soon rise and it would be easier to get caught in the forest with the sun on her. Kid continued wandering into the forest. Her vision sharpened. _Sunrise must be getting close._ Just as Kid realized that, she bumped into something and fell on her back. Shaking her head, she got back up. In front of her stood a fence.

"What the…"

She followed the metal barrier to her right. There was no road and no sign of guards. The fence was new, perhaps barricaded by the guards. She shoved aside some bushes and found herself at the edge of a cliff.

The horizon was beautiful. The sun was dawning over the sea and gave a mellow feeling in the atmosphere. Kid inspected her status. Her hair was cluttered with dirt and leaves. Her black sweater was quite warm and maneuverable. Her black shorts helped her move as well, but her legs shivered with the brisk, cold night. She nearly jumped for joy when the sunlight tickled against her knees. Her belt pouch remained intact, and still contained enough supplies for her day. Her shoes were still intact. She nodded with satisfaction. Looking around, she saw the city of Termina on her left. Ships were coming in and out of port. The fence which previously blocked her way revealed a hole big enough for her to crawl through. Slowly, her smile went to a smirk.

"Perfect."


End file.
